My Pan Bagnat is so Nice. If you have ever been lucky enough to visit Nice, you will probably have seen Pan Bagnat sold in every bakery and market. What is Pan Bagnat I hear you cry? Well, I want you to imagine all of the flavours of a Salade Niçoise in a bun. The city is so proud of this delicious sandwich it formed an official association to promote it. Best made in advance and tightly wrapped in greaseproof paper and foil the Pan Bagnat is the ultimate beach food. One bite and you will think you are by the Mediterranean.
As with so many dishes there are numerous versions of Pan Bagnat. However, the Association de Défense et de Promotion de l’Appellation Pan Bagnat is quite strict about the recipe. I’m quite sure there are fairly stiff punishments if you stray away from the official version. Perhaps a spell in the Foreign Legion or being dangled by your ankles from the Eiffel Tower. What people do agree on is bread, tomato, boiled egg, and olives. You then add anchovies or tuna or both. Other ingredients can include basil, celery, red onion, artichoke hearts, green peppers and baby broad beans or fèves.
A little bit of Pan Bagnat History
First off is the bread. A wholemeal Pan Bagnat roll is quite large and made with olive oil. It has a firm crust and is soft inside. If you are not lucky enough to be jetting off to the south of France anytime you can use a Ciabatta. My ciabatta was fairly small, so I just made two. Originally the recipe would be made with stale bread the ‘pan’ in the recipe. This was bathed with a little water the ‘bagnat’. The modern version relies on a lick of quality olive oil, the juice of the tomatoes and a little time to macerate.
History has it a version of Pan Bagnat was made in as early as the sixteenth century for hungry fishermen by their wives. They scooped out the centre of day-old bread packed it full of whatever was at hand and wrapped them in cloth. As a peasant dish the recipe was not likely to have contained tuna which would have been a much later addition. The whole thing is made in advance to allow all the flavours to soak into the bread.
What to drink with Pan Bagnat?
A fish dish from the south of France then it’s got to be a Provencal rosé surely. Sat in your garden or on the beach it will be an excellent match with all those delicious Mediterranean flavours. If you want to drink white wine, then why not try one made from the Vermentino grape from the region. If you prefer a beer I recommend a crisp, refreshing Gueuze beer with lots of tart, fruity flavours.
If you like this French recipe why not try my classic Salade Parisienne, Coquilles St. Jacques a traditional scallop recipe or the delicious Moules marinières with garlic, shallots and white wine.
My Pan Bagnat
I have written before about my dislike of raw green pepper, so I haven’t included it. I’ve have also missed out the seasonal broad beans and artichokes. I have added some sliced cucumber and some radish for a little bite and texture. Some recipes wipe the bread with garlic and also include a splash of red wine vinegar. I have omitted both, but the joy of cooking is you can always add them should you like to try.
Pan Bagnat
Ingredients
- 2 Ciabatta Rolls or crusty French bread
- 1 tin quality Tuna drained
- 1 ripe Beef Tomato cored removed and sliced
- 2 free-range boiled Eggs peeled and sliced
- ¼ Cucumber peeled and sliced
- 5 Radishes washed and sliced
- 10 Olives halved
- 4 Anchovies
- A generous glug Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Equipment
- Greaseproof paper and aluminium foil
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients. Cut the bread in half. If you are using a large roll remove some of the filling with your fingertips.
- Drizzle both halves of the bread generously with olive oil or oil from you anchovies if you have some spare. Spoon over any saved tomato juice if you have any.
- Layer on the tomatoes followed by the cucumber and season. Add the radish and olives followed by the sliced boiled eggs.
- Top with the tuna and anchovies and the remaining piece of bread. Press down firmly and wrap in greaseproof paper and foil. Allow to rest in the fridge for half an hour before eating.
Notes
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